The Knowledge with David Elikwu

Is Modern ADHD a Crisis of Environment? An Exploration of Attention in the Digital AgeI confess to having been sceptical about the rising ADHD diagnoses, suspecting it to be a fad. However, after watching people describe their everyday distractions, my view shifted. The explosion of ADHD-like behaviours seems more about the environment we've created rather than individual faults. This episode explores whether our digital society is an attentional pathogen, meticulously designed to fragment our focus for profit. We debate two paths: whether this crisis is a tragic accident or a deliberate byproduct of the attention economy. We also contemplate two possible responses—personal monasticism and public reform. I challenge you to rethink how we manage our attention and the future direction we want to take.00:00 Confession and Initial Scepticism00:44 Do we all have ADHD now?02:05 The Digital Society as an Attentional Pathogen02:41 Exploring the Nature of the Pathogen03:19 Path A: The Accidental Crisis05:36 Cognitive Artefacts: Complementary vs. Competitive09:46 Path B: The Deliberate Machine12:16 Consequences of Fragmented Attention18:23 Solutions: Personal Monasticism vs. Public Reform24:21 Conclusion: Balancing Personal and Public Responses26:04 Final Thoughts and Call to ActionSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

In a world overflowing with complexity, David delves into why modern life feels so tangled. He reveals how simple activities, like running, turn into sources of frustration through hyper-optimization. The discussion takes a serious turn with lessons from the Challenger disaster, illustrating how complexity invites fragility. David emphasizes the illusion of control complexity offers and critiques how metrics can obscure our true goals. He advocates for practical wisdom and suggests reconnecting with simplicity to find clarity and purpose.

(Embracing Total Engagement: Overcoming Life's Hesitations) – In this episode, David Elikwu explains the pervasive state of hesitation many people experience in life. Drawing upon philosophers Henry David Thoreau and Soren Kierkegaard, David explores the concept of living in a foggy state of quiet desperation, paralysed by the fear of finality and the countless possibilities life offers. He discusses the modern parallel of FOMO (fear of missing out), and how this keeps people from fully committing to their choices. David suggests a vow of total engagement as the cure, advocating for complete dedication and passion in every action, much like a focused bonfire. He shares wisdom from Zen master Shunryu Suzuki and Michelangelo's approach to sculpting as metaphors for living a fully committed life. David challenges listeners to engage fully in one task today, emphasising the importance of closing the gap between potential and action to achieve inner integrity. David also promotes his book, 'Sovereign', and invites listeners to pre-order and attend upcoming events in London.00:00 The Foggy State Between Sleep and Wakefulness00:27 Living in Quiet Desperation01:49 The Fear of Finality and Hesitation03:03 The Modern Dilemma: FOMO and Optionality04:25 The Paradox of Choice and Its Impact05:19 The Art of Total Engagement06:43 The Power of Passion and Commitment10:13 The Challenge of Being Present14:46 A Simple Challenge for Today15:46 Conclusion and Upcoming EventsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

Going deep: The Battle Between Horizontal and Vertical WorkIn this episode of 'The Knowledge,' host David Elikwu dives into the dichotomy between horizontal and vertical models of engaging with the world. Using Donald Knuth's drastic life decision to quit email in 1990 as a starting point, David explores the philosophical implications of being either on top of things or at the bottom. The episode draws on historical and contemporary examples, from ancient philosophies to modern neuroscience, and includes insights from notable figures like Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci. David emphasises the value of deep, focused work versus the appeal of staying broadly informed and connected, ultimately challenging listeners to identify the one thing so compelling to them that it is worth digging deep for.00:00 Introduction and Overview00:19 Donald Knuth's Decision to Quit Email01:53 Horizontal vs. Vertical Thinking02:17 The Horizontal Model: Staying on Top of Things04:07 The Vertical Model: Going Deep05:49 Historical Perspectives on Depth vs. Breadth20:21 The Balance Between Horizontal and Vertical24:10 Conclusion: Finding Your FocusSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

In this episode, David Elikwu speaks with Ed Latimore, exploring his remarkable journey from growing up in the projects of Pittsburgh to becoming a professional heavyweight boxer. Latimore discusses overcoming challenges such as a tough upbringing, alcohol dependency, and setbacks in his boxing career. Key highlights include his recent decision to come out of retirement at 40, his experiences with training and fighting, and his reflections on persistence and grit. Ed also delves into his new book, 'Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business,' and how boxing has shaped his life and mindset. The episode also touches on his academic pursuits in physics and his successful transition into writing and online business. Latimore's story is one of resilience and continual self-improvement, making for a compelling and inspiring discussion.00:00 Introduction to Ed Latimore's Journey00:59 Ed's Multifaceted Career and Sovereign Mindset02:01 The Pursuit of a Singular Goal02:51 Life Lessons from Poker and Persistence07:54 Challenges and Triumphs in Ed's Life11:02 The Comeback Fight and Sponsorship Insights19:47 The Science and Mechanics of Boxing25:59 Future Goals and Reflections on Boxing37:08 The Unique Appeal of Boxing38:48 The Decline of Boxing's Popularity41:07 Personal Journey into Boxing44:09 The Impact of Childhood on Ambition45:22 Struggles and Turning Points47:51 Boxing as a Lifeline49:24 Facing Adversity and Finding Direction52:25 The Reality of Pursuing Boxing55:49 Maintaining Focus Amidst Challenges57:59 The Highs and Lows of a Boxing Career01:18:24 Struggles and Determination in Boxing01:19:56 The Motivation Behind the Comebacks01:20:58 The Role of Teaching and Tutoring01:22:38 Injuries and the Decision to Continue01:23:51 The Social Aspect of Boxing01:27:55 Alcoholism and Social Connections01:34:29 Pursuing a Physics Degree01:37:43 The Rise of a Writing Career01:39:56 Family Life and Personal Growth01:46:18 Reflections and Future PlansSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

Hey, welcome back. I have missed you all. We took a bit of a break from the podcast for a month and a bit for a number of reasons. One of them is that I have been working on announcing a book that I've been writing for the past year called 'Sovereign'. It's out for pre-orders now at becomesovereign.com.I've had tons of great feedback from advanced readers, and I’m excited to share it with you. I'm also thrilled to be back with the podcast. We have a great guest for this episode, Ed Latimore, and more exciting episodes to come.Additionally, I plan to share more of the ideas from my newsletter, The Knowledge (https://theknowledge.io), directly with this podcast audience through one-on-one episodes. I've been writing my newsletter for half a decade, and it's time to share some of that content here. You can find me on Twitter at @Delikwu and other platforms under the same name. Looking forward to spending more time with you all.00:00 Welcome Back!00:13 Exciting Book Announcement00:42 Podcast Updates and Future Plans01:25 Engage with the Community01:30 Conclusion and FarewellSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

David speaks with Christine Carrillo, an executive coach for early-stage CEOs and founder of The 20-Hour CEO. Christine has built three companies generating over $200M in revenue and now helps founders build lean, profitable businesses without burnout.They talked about:🏚 Growing up in poverty and becoming head of household at 14🛠 Navigating trauma, burnout, and building resilience💡 Why freedom, not money, was her ultimate definition of success🚀 Starting and scaling VC-backed and bootstrapped companies🧘🏽‍♀️ Rewriting productivity rules with the 20-Hour CEO🧠 The mindset shift from survival mode to CEO mode📜 Full transcript:https://theknowledge.io/christinecarrillo-2/🗣 Mentioned in the show:The 20-Hour CEO | https://www.20hourceo.comButler Health | https://www.butlerhealth.coTechstars | https://www.techstars.comKaiser Permanente | https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.orgMcKinsey & Company | https://www.mckinsey.comDeloitte | https://www2.deloitte.com👤 Connect with Christine:Website: https://www.christinecarrillo.com/Twitter: https://x.com/ChristineCarrilLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinecarrillo👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge📖 Free Book: https://pro.theknowledge.io/framesMy Online Course🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.The Knowledge📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.ioThe Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.My Favourite Tools🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audibledeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

David speaks with with Alex Fefegha, a creative technologist who currently works as a creative coder at Google's Arts & Culture Lab. Previously, Alex founded COMUZI, a design studio he started at 19. He also runs The Office of Art & Technology, creating games and interactive experiences.They talked about:💻 How Alex got into tech after growing up in South London⚽ Getting kicked out of a football academy put him on a new path🎵 Losing thousands trying to break into the music industry🧠 Teaching himself to code and making it his edge🤖 AI and why he says “computers are stupid”🚀 How he built COMUZI - a creative studio working on cutting-edge AI projects📜 Full transcript:https://theknowledge.io/alexfefegha-2/📹 Watch on Youtube:https://youtu.be/o6GVqRAp-qE🗣 Mentioned in the show:COMUZI | https://www.comuzi.xyz/Richie Brave | https://theknowledge.io/richiebrave-1/Tooting & Mitcham | https://www.tmunited.org/Pecan | https://www.pecan.ai/Audacity | https://www.audacityteam.org/Bonnet Football Club | https://www.bonnetbayfc.com/Wired PR | https://wired-pr.co.uk/Music X-Ray | https://www.musicxray.com/Mike McCready | https://twitter.com/mikemccreadypjA&R's | https://www.careersinmusic.com/what-is-a-r/SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/Feminist Internet | https://www.feministinternet.com/Digital One Dead Bot | https://www.wionews.com/world/deadbots-the-digital-soul-that-can-speak-for-you-after-your-death-478639New Inc Museum | https://www.newmuseum.org/Ross Goodwin | https://rossgoodwin.com/Es Devlin | https://esdevlin.com/Rakim the hip hop | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RakimThe Thames Path 2040 | https://www.newreal.cc/artworks/the-thames-path-2040MKBHD | https://mkbhd.com/ChatGPT | https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/👤 Connect with Alex:Website: https://lexfefegha.com/Twitter: https://x.com/lexfefeghaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfefegha/👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge📖 Free Book: https://pro.theknowledge.io/framesMy Online Course🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.The Knowledge📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.ioThe Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.My Favourite Tools🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audibledeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

David speaks with Taylor Pearson, an author, investor, and principal at Mutiny Fund. Taylor wrote The End of Jobs, a book about how work is changing and what that means for people building their careers today. These days, he focuses on decision-making, risk, and helping investors think about uncertainty through his work at Mutiny Fund.They talked about:📚 How ditching plans to become a lawyer changed Taylor's life⚠️ How "safe" career paths often hide the biggest risks💼 Why some jobs will feel secure until they aren't🔒 Why job security and career stability are not the same thing🧾 How to track your life balance sheet beyond money🧠 How thinking like an investor can help with making smarter life choices📜 Full transcript:https://theknowledge.io/taylorpearson-3/📹 Watch on Youtube:https://youtu.be/ntz5LnTzez8🗣 Mentioned in the show:Paul Graham | http://www.paulgraham.com/Paul Millerd | https://theknowledge.io/paulmillerd/Nassim Taleb | https://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/Naval Ravikant | https://theknowledge.io/conquering-comfort-two-razors-from-naval-to-sharpen-your-choices/Luca Dellanna | https://theknowledge.io/lucadellana-1/Charlie Munger | https://theknowledge.io/can-you-beat-your-opponent-in-their-own-game-mungers-law-and-the-art-of-the-steelman/Elon Musk | https://theknowledge.io/elons-law-beating-hofstadters-law-with-ridiculous-deadlines/Brian Eno | https://www.enoshop.co.uk/Kevin Kelly | https://kk.org/Venkatesh Rao | https://www.ribbonfarm.com/about/Douglas Adams | http://www.douglasadams.com/Mutiny Fund | https://mutinyfund.com/IBM | https://www.ibm.com/Amazon | https://www.amazon.com/Amazon Web Services (AWS) | https://aws.amazon.com/Wells Fargo | https://www.wellsfargo.com/Y Combinator | https://www.ycombinator.com/Netflix | https://www.netflix.com/Hallmark | https://www.hallmark.com/OpenAI | https://openai.com/Google | https://www.google.com/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Apple | https://www.apple.com/Scribe Media (formerly Book in a Box) | https://scribemedia.com/Toyota | https://www.toyota.com/Minnesota Vikings (NFL) | https://www.vikings.com/Dallas Cowboys (NFL) | https://www.dallascowboys.com/The End of Jobs | https://theknowledge.io/taylorpearson-2/Fooled by Randomness | https://www.amazon.com/Fooled-Randomness-Hidden-Chance-Markets/dp/0812975219The Black Swan | https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Impact-Highly-Improbable/dp/081297381XAntifragile | https://theknowledge.io/reimaging-work-life-balance/The Pathless Path | https://theknowledge.io/paulmillerd/Flatland | https://www.amazon.com/Flatland-Romance-Many-Dimensions-Dover/dp/048627263XThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy | https://www.amazon.com/Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-Douglas-Adams/dp/0345391802Snow Crash | https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Novel-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0553380958The Almanack of Naval Ravikant | https://www.amazon.com/Almanack-Naval-Ravikant-Wealth-Happiness/dp/1544514212Wealth – essay by Paul Graham | http://www.paulgraham.com/wealth.html👤 Connect with Taylor:Twitter: https://x.com/TaylorPearsonMeWebsite: taylorpearson.me👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge📖 Free Book: https://pro.theknowledge.io/framesMy Online Course🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.The Knowledge📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.ioThe Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.My Favourite Tools🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audibledeRead lessSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations

David speaks with Colin Landforce, a serial entrepreneur who started his business journey as a teenager and went on to build successful ventures across multiple industries, from tech to cannabis. Colin is the founder of LTRMN, a multi-million dollar consumer cannabis product company, and creator of Cut30, a 30-day bootcamp that has helped over 1,000 creators and brands improve their short-form video skills for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.They talked about:💰 Having a positive relationship with money🔥 His early entrepreneurial start with CD burning and eBay🎉 Building a party promotion business in high school🌱 Challenges of getting in to the cannabis industry👥 Biggest lessons from building teams that win🧠 Developing the right mindset to handle business risks📜 Full transcript:https://theknowledge.io/landforce-2📹 Watch on Youtube:https://youtu.be/qSRQvd20ff4🗣 Mentioned in the show:David Belle | https://theknowledge.io/dbelle/E-bay | https://www.ebay.co.uk/Twilio | https://www.twilio.com/en-usYale | https://www.yale.edu/Harvard | https://www.harvard.edu/Deloitte | https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en.htmlLEGO | https://www.lego.com/Nike | https://www.nike.com/gb/TikTok | https://tiktok.com/👤 Connect with Colin:Twitter: https://x.com/landforceWebsite: https://landforce.com/👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com📽️ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu🎙️ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge📖 Free Book: https://pro.theknowledge.io/framesMy Online Course🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.The Knowledge📩 Newsletter: https://theknowledge.ioThe Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.My Favourite Tools🎞️ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de📨 Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de🔰 NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de💹 Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde🎧 Audible: https://bit.ly/audibledeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theknowledge/donations